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New coaches always have their challenges. Inheriting a winning program is one of them.
As odd as it might sound, taking over a perennial power can be just as difficult as fixing a perennial doormat.
“I think it’s harder to come into a team that has their set ways and has been coached for so long,” Hazleton Area first-year softball coach Adrienne Rebarchak said. “It’s hard for them to buy in sometimes.”
Rebarchak played at Hazleton Area and was a first-team coaches all-star in 2004 and a second-teamer in 2005 as an infielder. She started four seasons for the Cougars and had experience as an assistant at Benton, MMI Prep and Shenandoah.
She was also replacing highly-successful Vince Trivelpiece, who was let go after using an ineligible player in two games last season.
Trivelpiece’s teams won five District 2 Class 4A titles and the last two WVC Division 1 crowns in his six seasons. Plus, several Hazleton Area players — including his two daughters — play on a travel team that Trivelpiece helps coach.
“Sometimes they don’t understand why we choose to do the things we do because it’s not what they are familiar with,” Rebarchak said.
Nanticoke’s Ryan Stetz walked into a different situation three years ago. It was daunting, no doubt. He was replacing Gary Williams, who won 330 games and two state championships in his 22 years.
Stetz, though, had an advantage that Rebarchak doesn’t. He spent three seasons as an assistant under Williams where he learned the nuances of coaching softball.
“He left it in good hands,” Stetz said. “With the girls that are here and their passion for softball, it’s been a lot of fun. We have a great coaching staff. It’s been a great time. We still have some goals to accomplish, but we’re very satisfied where we’re at right now.”
43 vs. 46
The temperature at the start of the Nanticoke at Dallas game on Thursday was 43 degrees. On Saturday, the temperature was 46 when the Wyoming Valley West at Nanticoke game began.
Three degrees don’t seem like much, but it felt like it was 33 degrees warmer Saturday. The big difference was the sky. Overcast skies for the most part at Dallas spit occasional snow flakes. The cold wind didn’t help, either.
At Nanticoke, the game started at 1 p.m. — five hours sooner than on Thursday — and the sun was above. As for wind, it was minimal.
Batter’s Eye
The Batter’s Eye at Back Mountain Little League — the green part of the fence in center field — extends about four feet higher than the rest of the outfield fence. While this seems odd, it’s done for a reason. There is a rather busy street that runs behind center field and the cars were a distraction for hitters.
The extension, though, robbed Nanticoke’s Jenna Lipowski and Hazleton Area’s Lexi Wolk of home runs last week.
Web gems
There were some this past week.
• Dallas right fielder Amy Bolton made a shoestring catch on a bloop fly by Jenna Lipowski, robbing her of a hit.
• Wyoming Valley West had two against Nanticoke. Shortstop Jaden Belles speared a liner over her head in the second inning. Third baseman Morgan Klocko had to dive in the dirt to nab a low liner to her left.
Clinching with a wink
Holy Redeemer (6-0) hosts Northwest (3-1) on Friday in a game that won’t give the Royals the Division 3 title with a win, but will probably lock it up nonetheless.
Redeemer would go up two games in the loss column, assuming it defeats GAR (3-3) on Monday, with a victory over Northwest. With four games then remaining, it’s difficult to envision the Royals losing two times in those games against Hanover Area (3-2), Wyoming Seminary (1-5) and MMI Prep (1-3, twice).